Building in public: 4 ways to share your journey as a startup founder
- Oluwafisayomi Oluwasuyi
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Building is hard; being a founder is even harder, especially in the early stages of a business. You are responsible for every part of it—perfecting your product, talking to customers, pitching to investors, handling sales and marketing, hiring the right people, navigating legal matters, learning from mistakes, and probably juggling another job.
And then creating content about your work? That’s probably the last thing on your mind.
But you should, and you know it. Instead of building in silence, consider that many people are interested in your journey. Why keep it to yourself when you can inspire others, attract support and investment, and build a community around your brand?
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Why you should share your journey online as a founder
There are many reasons to share your journey, but here are four key ones:
Build trust: Creating founder-led content gives you a competitive edge. As you share, people believe in you, then they believe in your product. Authenticity sells faster. You don’t have to overthink it. People are always skeptical about what they haven’t tried before unless they have a certain amount of trust in that product. While you build with excellence, you can share your journey along the way. Through that medium, they get to know you and trust what you are building.
Create a community: Building a startup is tough. It takes persistence and resilience to push through failures. You don’t have to do it alone. By sharing your journey, you attract people who relate to your struggles—investors, fellow founders, and potential customers who believe in your vision. A strong community can offer support, spread the word, and even help refine your product.
Help you stay on track: Talking about your product can give you a sense of accountability. It keeps you motivated to keep going despite the odds. Your community eagerly awaits your story—failures, rejections, customer feedback, and successes. Sharing keeps you motivated.
Gain visibility without extra effort: It’s easy to think, “I’ll start talking about my product once it’s perfect.” But that’s the wrong approach. Sharing early can build anticipation. Instead of trying to sell something finished, let people be part of the process. They’ll be more invested when it launches. Instead of overthinking, just start sharing.
The challenges and solutions to sharing your journey online
Urgh! It's easier said than done. Let's tackle the major challenges with a step-by-step process. Just like I said, don’t overthink it. Okay, let’s dig in.
"I don’t have time."
You already have a lot to think about, but you can still make it work. If you see sharing your journey as ‘creating’, you might feel skeptical about finding the time. But you are a deep thinker—every founder is. As you build, turn your observations into content instead of trying to become a formal content creator. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Just incorporate it into your daily activities. And no, you don’t have to post every day.
"I struggle with consistency."
You’ve probably heard it before: “If you don’t have time to create, schedule your posts. Have a specific time. Be structured.” My advice? Don’t! You don’t even have the time. Just create.
Share your journey as you go. No hard rules. No rigid system. Just a founder who wants the world to see what they are building. Share content that helps your audience. Solve the problems they have regarding your product. Share your journey as a founder.
"I don’t want to be too vulnerable."
Jeff Wald gave a perfect quote regarding vulnerability and failure: “We’ve confused the idea of putting failure out into the market as making yourself vulnerable when it isn’t. Talking about how your startup didn’t work or how your product fell flat isn’t the same as digging into how that made you feel or how you failed specifically as a leader—there’s a degree of separation there. You actually need to put yourself out there.”
Being vulnerable doesn’t require oversharing or focusing on your failures. Share what you’re comfortable with and focus on how you can help your audience. However, know where to draw the line.
What if I don’t feel qualified?
A Kajabi survey shows that more than 80% of founders deal with imposter syndrome occasionally. The idea of sharing your journey can feel daunting. Embrace your uniqueness. You are a human who has decided to build something worthwhile. The more you talk about what you do, the better you get at showing up. Start with a platform and a method that works best for you.
Even if your product isn’t ready, start sharing. You’ll attract an audience interested in what you’re building.
4 ways to start sharing your journey online
Start a blog or guest post
If you are good at writing, consider sharing your journey through blogging. You don’t need a fancy website—Medium is fine. Many founders started sharing their journey on Medium years ago before their businesses became unicorns. People listened. People supported them.
Mazian Abbas shared how he used Medium to build his way up when he was starting out. You can also look for blogs to guest post.
Leverage podcasts
Podcasting is another great method. You can either start your own or be a guest on others. David Park shared how he got $100k in funding after appearing on Starter Story on YouTube with Pat Wall. He randomly joined a podcast and shared his startup journey. Talking about your startup can open doors.
Use social media
One of the best ways to feel seen is through social media. Whether it’s text, audio, or video, choose the format that works best for you. Stick to one or two platforms at a time, depending on where your audience is. LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) are great starting points.
Join online communities
Online communities connect you with other founders who can share insights and tips. Building alone can be lonely. Support—both offline and online—is crucial to keep going. Showing the world what you’re working on is as important as building your business. Make it part of your marketing strategy.
And if it still feels overwhelming, you can outsource it.
Founder-led content is a marketing strategy that drives results. Instead of waiting for your business to grow on its own, put yourself in the game. Over time, you’ll be glad you did.
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